The Following Night.
After spending the evening with Rupert, keeping him company and reading to him, Clarisse returned to her suite to let him get some rest. And after having a shower, she slipped into a pair of pyjamas and her robe. Walking back through to her suite once she was ready, she poured herself a glass of wine and moved to sit on the couch. Sitting down, she tucked her legs up under her and took a couple sips of her wine before resting the glass on her thigh, taking hold of it with both hands as she looked down at it.
They've been husband and wife for twenty seven years, king and queen for 26. And as she sat alone, she thought about the years together. The happy times, including the births of their three children Pierre, Philippe and Isabella, the baby of the family who is far to young to really understand what's going on. The bad times, both of them cheating and the months that followed. And then there was the hard times including the passing of her father and the loss of their unborn baby shortly after when Clarisse was 7 months pregnant, which lead to Rupert's cheating.
They have been through so much, but they had always faced it together, even if they hated each other at the time. And as she sat alone, Clarisse realised that soon she's going to have to face everything on her own. Taking a sip of her wine, she rested it back on her thigh as she looked around her suite. She felt tired, but knew she wouldn't sleep much. She needed to relax, but would never allow herself too, just in case she had a call from the nurse telling her it was time. Looking up at the family photo hanging on her wall she suddenly remembered a box that Rupert had given her earlier in the day.
Standing to her feet, she put her glass down on the coffee table before walking over to get it from her desk. Returning to the sofa a moment later, she sat back down and crossed her legs, getting comfortable as she placed the box in her lap. Lifting the lid she was surprised to see a pile of letters all addressed to her, and with all the same handwriting. Handwriting she knew well, and that belonged to Joseph. Picking up one, she pulled it from the envelope and read it to herself, followed with another and then another.
When she finshed she placed them all back in the box and placed it on her coffee table and picked up her glass, drinking down the last bit of wine before standing up and pouring herself another. After she had poured it, she took a sip as someone knocked on the door. And wanting to be alone, she ignored it as she moved to sit back down. But placing her glass back down, another knock came to the door.
"Come in." She called, and watched as the door opened. Seeing it was Joseph, she quickly stood to her feet and looked at him.
"Can I come in?" He asked, watching as she nodded.
"Of course," She said and watched as he walked in, closing the door behind him before turning back to her. "Is everything okay?" She asked.
"Yes, I just wanted to check on you, make sure that you're ok." Joseph said.
"Yes, I'm okay. Thank you for checking." She said, sitting back down. "How was your first day back?" She asked while picking up her glass, taking a sip as he walked over and sat on one of the arm chairs.
"Yes, it's been good. Strange, but good." He nodded, watching her sip her wine. Looking down he noticed his letters in the box "Ah you got the letters then?" He said, looking back up at her.
"Pardon?" She asked, and suddenly realised what he was refering too. "Oh!" She exclaimed while looking at the box "Yes I did, but only just today."
"Only today?" He asked "Even though I sent them six plus years ago?"
"Yes," She nodded while looking at the box "I guess Rupert didn't want me to have them back then." Looking back up at him, she watched as he stared at the box.
"I guess so." He nodded slightly and looked down at his hands.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked, watching him look back up at her.
"Of course, you can ask me anything." He answered.
"Rupert told me something yesterday, and I just wondered if it was true or if..."
"If what?" He asked, watching her.
"If it was lies." She said softly.
"Well what was it he told you?" Joseph asked.
"That you still love me?" She said quietly and watched as he looked back down at his hands. "I see..."
Looking back up at her, he shook his head "It's not what you think, yes I still love you, how can I ever stop loving you when you stole my heart the first moment I saw you?" He exclaimed, taking her by surprise. "I have tried so hard over the last few years to forget about you, but I just couldn't. And when Rupert sent for me, I really didn't know what to do. I wasn't going to come because it meant seeing you again," Seeing Clarisse standing, he stopped and watched her walk over to the door.
"You need to leave." She said, opening her door.
"Clarisse?" He said, standing to his feet and made his way over to the door.
"I can't be hearing this, for the last several months I have been repeating the same day over and over. I get up, see to Rupert, do the paperwork downstairs, attend any meetings that I must attend, return to the Palace and spend sometime with Rupert before Isabella returns from school. And then I help her with her homework, have dinner with her and spend sometime with her before putting her to bed, and from there I go and sit with Rupert, reading to him every night and give him his medication before leaving him to get some rest as the nurse takes over for the night. Do you have any idea how hard that was for me to hear that he had given his blessing for us, after everything? And yes, he was a horrible man for some of the years we have been married but he's still my husband, and hearing from him that you still love me..." Seeing him step closer and put his hand up on the door, she stopped "Joseph?" She whispered, watching him pushing up the door.
"He sent for me, I am here to look after you..."
"Please leave." She said, stepping back while shaking her head.
"As you wish." He said, studying her face momentarily before walking out and closing the door behind him as he left.